Sliding gate.



N0. 727,818. PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

I A. MASON. SLIDING GATE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 19o2.'

NO MODEL.

Til-Er;

In: news PEYERS co. momumo" WASHINGTON, nix;

UNITED STATES Patented May 12, 1903.

ALEXANDER MASON, OF FORT MADISON, IOWVA.

"suome GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,818, dated May 12,1903.

Application filed'I'ebruary 5,1902; Serial No. 92,659. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER Mason, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Madison, in the county of Lee and State of- In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1' represents a side view in perspective of all the parts assembled; and Fig. 2, a cross-section of the gate on line was, Fig. 1.

In the drawings, numerals 1 and 2, respectively, designate the twin upright posts, also referred to as main posts, standing opposite each other and having vertical slots 3 and 4, respectively, in their upper-ends, in which the inner ends of the main levers 5 and 6 move up and down. As shown, the slots limit the downward movements of the ends of the main levers. Opposite cross-bars 7, fixed to the said posts, aiford fulcrums at their extremities for the main levers. Handrods 8 and 9 are pivotally suspended, from A sliding gate 10 stands between the posts 1 and 2 and is movably supported upon wheels or rollers 11 and 12, respectively, roller 11 being rotatably secured upon post 2and roller 12 on the'right-hand short post 13, situated a small distance from the main posts. The form and arrangement of the rollers 11 and 12 are features of my invention, as will be seen. Thus in Fig. 2 it will be noticed that the actual bearing portion or tread 14 of the roller is tapered to an edge of substantially V shape in cross-section, so that upon both sides of the said edge or tread portion are inclined surfaces 15 and 16.

retain either rain orsribw.

Gate 10 has a channel-iron '17 attached to the under side of its top rail 18, which rides upon rollers 11 and 12 and helps to carry the gate, while there is also a flat iron guard-rail 19seci1r'ed'upon the third rail 20 of the gate from the top and adapted under certain conditions or positions of the gate to be engaged by rollers 11 and 12', as when tilting of the gate occurs on either roller 11 or 12.

As the parts are illustrated in Fig. 1 the greater portion of the gate, now closed, lies on the left of the roller 11, and its weight overbalances that portion on the right of the roller and raises the right-hand end of the gate. The lower edge of roller 12 will therefore come into contact with the guard-rail 19 in this portion of the gate and limit the tilt of the gate on roller 11. Then the gate opens,more of itslength and weight are thrown on the right of roller 12 and post 13 until the gate portion tilts on roller 12 as a center, raising the channel-iron from roller 11 and bringing the guard-rail 19 into contact with roller 11 at its lower edge.

Two advantages result in practice from the form given the rollers. The narrow tread reduces the friction in ordinary use, and in winter when ice and snow accumulate upon the flat guard-rail such accumulations are cut in the middle or split by said narrow cutting-tread of the rollers and forced oif the rail at the sides by the inclined surfaces adjacent to the treads. The same result would be obtained with channel-iron 17 if snow or ice gathered thereon; but this element being arranged with its flanges downward does not The office of the small roller 21', located at the base of post 13 and having a grooved periphery, is to engage the lower edge of the bottom rail 22 of the gate and prevent the bottom of the gate fromswinging sidewise during the opening or closing movement, par-- ticularly when the wind is blowing.

At the left and upon the opposite side of the roadway from the twin main posts 1 and 2 there is erected a second short post 23, against which the gate closes, and it is customary to provide recesses 24 and 25, having their lower walls inclined and adapted to receive and engage the correspondingly-shaped Iqu ends 26 and 27 of two of the gate-rails. This engagement prevents the inner end of the gate from swinging in the wind when closed.

The parts for operating the gate comprise in addition to the main levers 5 and 6 the arm 28, pivoted at the base of the main posts and connected by means of links 29 and 30, respectively, with the inner ends of the main levers. Arm 28 is pivotally joined to the upper left-hand corner of the gate 10 by means of a connecting-rod 31.

The peculiar construction of arm 28 is a feature of my invention. Thus said arm has a downwardly bent or extending portion 32 of its free end, and connecting-rod 31 is engaged with the lower end of this bent portion. Attention is here called to the fact that the pivotal junction 33 of the said connecting-rod with arm 28 falls slightly below a straight line from the pivot of said rod on the gate and the pivot pin or bolt 34 at the base of the main posts upon which arm 28 turns. This arrangement results practically in locking the gate against possible opening by pressure exerted upon the gate itself. It will be understood that unless the pivotal junction 33 is raised any efiort to open the gate will force it farther down, thereby drawing the ends of the main levers against the bottoms of the slots and resisting the opening. The parts arranged as described efiectively lock the gate against the attempts of animals to open it. By constructing arm 28 with a downwardly extension 32 the arm is permitted a higher normal position and the levers need not be moved through so great sweep to open or close the gate as would be required if both arm and rod were in a straight line, and by this construction the connecting-rod 31 may be attached directly to the gate instead of attaching to an upward projection on the gate, as would then be necessary. It has been found in practice that if the arm is straight throughout its length and any attempt is made to reduce the sweep of the main levers by raising the free end of the arm and continuing its direction by means of the connecting-rod 31 the said rod must be attached to an extension above the gate, which produces an objectionable vibration or twisting movement of the gate when opening or closing. It is necessary to eliminate this vibration and at the same time to bring the three pivotal junctions named into substantial alinement, as shown, to attain the looking result described.

Arm 28 is usually of iron and somewhat heavy. Hence it serves also as a weight which when set in motion helps to carry the gate along into an open or closed position.

It is found to be desirable that some means be provided to prevent arm 28 and the links connecting it with the main levers from stopping at the point where the links and arm are alined.-that is to say, on a dead-center. I overcome this possibility by placing a downward extension 35 upon the arm between its ends and connecting the links to this extension. It will now be seen that when the links are in alinement with the pivot 34 of arm 28 the arm itself will have passed the vertical point by the distance of the pivot of said links to one side thereof on extension 35, and thus a dead-center is rendered impossible, while the momentum of the parts will also help to pass this point. In closing the gate, unless the momentum given the arm is sufficient to carry it beyond its own vertical position, the gate will return to its open position and a second and greater pull must be exerted upon the hand-rods. Whether opening or closing, the gate cannot stop on a deadcenter.

What I claim is- 1. In sliding gates, a gate and posts and roller-supports thereon for the gate, in combination with means to actuate the gate comprising a pivoted lever, an operating-arm operatively connected with said lever and having a downward extension at its free end, and a connecting-rod attached to said extension and to the gate at its respective ends, whereby a dead-center line of pivot between said rod and arm is prevented, substantially as described.

2. In a sliding gate, the combination of the main posts having slots at their upper ends, the main levers having their inner ends in the said slots and their downward movements limited thereby, an arm pivoted at the base of the said main posts and having a downward extension at its free end, links joining the said arm and the inner ends of the main levers, a sliding gate between said main posts, and a connecting-rod pivotally attached to the said gate and to the lower portion of the downward extension on the free end of the said arm, substantially as described.

3. In sliding gates, a gate and roller-sup ports therefor, in combination with means to actuate the gate constructed to avoid a deadcenter in operation, said means comprising a pivoted arm having a downward extension between its ends, an actuating-lever and a link connecting said lever with said extension, and the said arm operatively connected with the gate from its free end, substantially as described.

4.. In a sliding gate, the combination of a pivoted arm having downward extensions 33 and 35, respectively, a sliding gate, a connecting-rod joining the said gate and the downward extension 33 on said arm, and actuating mechanism pivotally secured to the said extension 35 and adapted to operate the said arm, substantially as described.

5. In sliding gates, a gate having an upper rail with a channel lengthwise on its under edge, and a lower guard-rail parallel thereto with a broad flat exposed top bearing-surface beneath and directly opposite said upper rail, in combination with posts and rollers on said luu 'posts engaging both said rails and adapted to structions by the rollers, substantially as decarry the gate, said rollers having cutting scribed. a i edges 0;? substantially V shape and running In testimony whereof I affix my signature on the top surface of the said lower guardin presence of two witnesses.

5 rail, whereby accumulations of ice and snow ALEXANDER MASON.

on the flat top surface of the guard-rail are Witnesses: split and crowded away laterally and the track M. M. OOMAR,

of the gate is automatically cleared'from ob- J. W. NICHOLES. 

